Book Description

In September 1928, when great storms were still unnamed, nearly 700 black men, women, and children were buried in an unmarked West Palm Beach ditch following the nation's second-deadliest hurricane. The savage gusts that churned the waters of Lake Okeechobee into a maelstrom of death afflicted victims of all races and classes, and produced tales of survival and loss among whites and blacks alike. The vast majority of the post-storm workers were poor black migrants; even if the hurricane was color-blind, the recovery and rebuilding effort were not. Palm Beach Post hurricane reporter and Florida native Eliot Kleinberg has penned the gripping tale of the killer hurricane. The storm's journey is chronicled as it kills perhaps 7,000 people along its path from the Caribbean to Canada, including a low official tally of 1,836 in Florida alone. Detailing the storm's track, the failure to properly predict landfall, personal battles against nature's wrath, and the extraordinary suffering of a black citizenry forced to provide a disproportionate amount of rebuilding labor and endure the burial of friends and family in an unmarked pit, Kleinberg tells a powerful story of man versus nature and man versus man. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Poorly known tragedy...and portent
I agree with other reviewers that spoke highly of this work. This book is deeply moving in its portrayal of how a natural disaster combined with ineffective governmental precautions, human arrogance, and racial inequity to create an unmitigated human tragedy. The portrayal of people from all across the board is unfettered by political correctness as the author explores the range from poor black laborers buried in mass graves to a reactionary black interest group that tried to discredit the Red Cross, one of the few organizations relatively prepared for this emergency.

The events in this book are made all the more tragic when one realizes that humans have learned precious little from this type of disaster. As the earth warms, whether caused by man or not, the probablility of catastrophic hurricanes reaching our coasts may dramatically increase. And yet we build on coastal land until the water has nowhere to go and we remain haughty in the face of natural power. We also ignore human factors seen in the 1928 storm that linger on in Florida.

I highly recommend reading this book within the context of modern times and possiblilities. Or, try immersing yourself (if you can get past the numerous "typos" in the book) in the world of early Florida settlement. Either way, you will embark on a heart-wrenching experience that will long be remembered.

The Definitive Book
(...) Kleinberg has assembled pretty much the definitive history of this hurricane, in a book that is very compellingly readable, meticulously researched and, above all, extraordinarily well-organized. The cliche's that so abounded in "Isaac's Storm," the history of the Galveston hurricane, are here mercifully lacking. This hurricane changed the whole shape and future of South Florida, tested the state's mettle (which was found wanting in many ways) and more or less declared the future of the Everglades ecosystem, in that Lake Okeechobee would never again be allowed to become so unruly and deadly. A vast dike surrounds it today, abhorred by environmentalists, blessed by farmers and developers. The whole problem of water in South Florida, what to do with it, how to manage it, dates from this pivotal point, the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane.

Kleinberg has done an excellent job of tracking down sources, both living and speaking, as well as dead and existing only in ink or newsprint. He has put it all together with remarkable clarity and verve. This is a very lively book, breathing with human breath and gasping at the onslaught of almost unearthly winds. It is scrupulously researched and documented chapter and verse. One cannot but be pained to learn that some of the most precious original documents, the original issues of the Palm Beach Post and source material from the Lawrence Will archive in Belle Glade, have been stolen; but Kleinberg has managed to reconstruct their content skilfully.

Today we are almost overwhelmed with escapist disaster books, from Mount Everest to Krakatoa (my favorite, for sheer absurdity, concerns a New England molasses spill; you would think the world were ending!). Here's one that actually speaks, resonates and still has consequences in the present time. The multi-billion-dollar Everglades Restoration Project still has to deal with the consequences of this 1928 hurricane, the dubious gift of having TOO much water, and what to do if you want to farm or build a condominium on land that used to be submerged. It's a fascinating, well-written account, equally at home in a library or on a bedside reading table. Highly recommended. I give it four stars merely to avoid the imputation of sycophancy and escape the charge of counterfeit reviewing with which Amazon has been lately plagued.

Compelling account of devasting 1928 hurricane
Do you ever stop and shake your head at all of the apartment complexes, condominiums, beachfront homes and commercial enterprises that have sprung up all along the coastline? It would seem that many Americans are unaware of or have become indifferent to the danger posed by hurricanes. In "Black Cloud", Eliot Kleinberg describes the horrors of the second deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. An estimated 7000 people were killed in its wake. Kleinberg describes the unique set of circumstances in 1928 Florida that caused the overwhelming majority of the casualties to occur inland near Lake Okeechobee.
The author provides the fascinating history that led to the draining of the Everglades, and the ill-advised construction of a flimsy dike around Lake Okeechobee that contributed in a huge way to the incomprehensible loss of life that occured during this storm. As is true in a great many disasters, what occured here was the unfortunate combination of a great many circumstances. I found the book to be fairly well written and for the most part easy to follow. And as you might expect, race played a major role in how the situation was handled by both public officials and the population at large. If you are a history buff or are fascinated with natural disasters this is certainly a book you should consider. ... Read more

Book Description

Learn how the climate can affect crop production!

Agrometeorology: Principles and Applications of Climate Studies in Agriculture is a much-needed reference resource on the practice of merging the science of meteorology with the service of agriculture. Written in a concise, straightforward style, the book presents examples of clinical applications (methods, techniques, models, and services) in varying climates and agricultural systems, documenting up-to-date research literature from around the world. Its systematic approach—different from most books on the subject—makes it an essential tool for teaching, planning, and practical use by working farmers, as it examines topics such as solar radiation, effective rain, drought monitoring, evapotranspiration, and remote sensing.

Agrometeorology: Principles and Applications of Climate Studies in Agriculture examines the developing discipline that international agencies such as the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have declared to be an important growth area in university education. A panel of academics, researchers, and practitioners explore the role of agrometeorology in optimum crop growth, from the interactions between meteorological and hydrological factors and agriculture, including horticulture, animal husbandry, and forestry. The book addresses pressing topics of agriculture resource utilization and management, such as regional and land use planning; soil and water conservation; frost; growing degree day; risk analysis of climate hazards; animal parasites; harvest forecasts; crop models; decision support systems (DSS); agroclimatological forecast; and the ecological and economic implications of climate change.

Agrometeorology: Principles and Applications of Climate Studies in Agriculture also addresses:

managing farm water resources
environmental temperature
planning for frost mitigation
photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)

thermoperiodism
managing the extremes—droughts and floods
using computers to manage agricultural systems
and much more!

The interdisciplinary focus and reader-friendly style of Agrometeorology: Principles and Applications of Climate Studies in Agriculture make the book invaluable to scientists, planners, and academics working in the major agricultural sciences, geography, natural resource studies, and meteorology. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Looks like a great book
I think that you should read this text if the topic interests you ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It is wonderfull !
Everybody that is interested in historical geology and paleontology must have this book. It is clear with a lot of informations, has beautifull pictures and a fantastic CD ROM. One of the best I bought last year ! ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Absorbing, up-to-date monograph by expert sets forth most of what has been learned about lightning, augmented with a generous selection of diagrams, charts, and photographs. Appendices on electromagnetics, statistics, and experimental techniques help clarify some of the concepts covered in the text. 144 illustrations. Appendices. Index.
... Read more

Book Description

This invaluable weather and climate workbook applies exercises to the material presented in the companion volume, Climatology: An Atmospheric Science. The book is designed to make complex mathematical, statistical and spatial analytical methods more easily understood by providing essential details of the topic under discussion and straightforward quantitative problems preceded by worked example. All data are supplied to make the exercises self-contained and the volume's climate rather then meteorologic presentation enables a wider view of atmospheric sciences than is normally available.The authors examine the atmosphere, the energy balance, the seasons, temperature, central tendency and graphing, atmospheric moisture and precipitation distribution, air masses, fronts, and cyclones, winds and the global circulation, climate classification, climate types, change, indices and comfort, extreme events and statistical analysis as they apply to weather and climate.For those interested in atmospheric science. ... Read more

Book Description

Climate Since AD 1500 presents a new perspective on the "Little Ice Age" and on the climate of the twentieth century. The editors have gathered together over fifty contributors from all over the world to provide as wide a geographical dimension as possible. Leading scientists in their fields, they present climatic and meteorological records of climatic variations available for the last 500 years, including research from several areas not previously recorded in English. These records include historical documents, long instrumental records, tree rings and ice core records, and records based on worldwide current research. An introductory chapter provides an explanation of the methods throughout and the book concludes with a summary of data from all the various records. ... Read more

Book Description

Until 1997, few people had heard of the seasonal current that Peruvians nicknamed El Niño. But when meteorologists linked it to devastating floods in California, severe droughts in Indonesia, and strange weather everywhere, its name became entrenched in the common parlance faster than a typhoon making landfall. Bumper stickers appeared bearing the phrase "Don't blame me; blame El Niño." Stockbrokers muttered "El Niño" when the market became erratic.

What's behind this fascinating natural phenomenon, and how did our perceptions of it change? In this captivating book, renowned oceanographer George Philander engages readers in lucid and stimulating discussions of the scientific, political, economic and cultural developments that shaped our perceptions of this force of nature.

The book begins by outlining the history of El Niño, an innocuous current that appears off the coast of Peru around Christmastime--its name refers to the Child Jesus--and originally was welcomed as a blessing. It goes on to explore how our perceptions of El Niño were transformed, not because the phenomenon changed, but because we did. Philander argues persuasively that familiarity with the different facets of our affair with El Niño--our wealth of experience in dealing with natural hazards such as severe storms and prolonged droughts--can help us cope with an urgent and controversial environmental problem of our own making--global warming.

Intellectually invigorating and a joy to read, Our Affair with El Niño is an important contribution to the debate about the relationship between scientific knowledge and public affairs.

... Read more

Book Description

The Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age are widelyconsidered to have been the major features of the Earth's climate overthe past 1000 years. In this volume the issue of whether there reallywas a Medieval Warm Period, and if so, where and when, is addressed.The types of evidence examined include historical documents, treerings, ice cores, glacial-geological records, borehole temperature,paleoecological data and records of solar receipts inferred fromcosmogenic isotopes. Growth in the availability of several of thesetypes of data in recent years, and technical advances in theirderivation and use, warrant this state-of-the-art re-examination ofMedieval Warm Period. The book will be of value to all those with an interest in the naturalvariability of the climate system, for example those concerned withanticipating and detecting anthropogenic climate change. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Bush, Kyoto, and This Book
I have searched high and low to find President Bush's basis for his "scientific" disavowal of the Kyoto treaty on global warming...and everywhere I look through the news stories leads me back to this book.

If not this, where else? I haven't found the argument that global warming is real, yet maybe unimportant elsewhere. I haven't found the argument that Kyoto is irrelevant to global warming--with real numbers--elsewhere. Everyone else either seems to say "global warming isn't real" (losing the argument) or "global warming is terrible (losing the argument as to why no nation of consequence--including Germany, England or Japan--has ratified that treaty). I noticed this in a recent news story.

But where oh where does Bush's argument come from? I think it's this book, which has become a classic on global warming. Both my conservative and enviro friends seem pretty aware of it and the authors and accord its arguments a lot of respect. In "The Nation" last month there was an exchange between the authors and a critic which most of my friends agree was surprisingly favorable to the writers.

I don't know if I agree. But I found Satanic Gases very readable (though I tend to suspect anything from the publisher--Cato Institute) and, if, as I guess, this is the book that Bush and Cheney are looking at, I've got to give it five stars.

Facts not Rhetoric
The cleverly titled "Satanic Gases" is a remarkably interesting book. Those of us who follow the greenhouse issue have been peppered with hot rhetoric and ad hominem attacks on the motives and the credibility of the authors. For example, see Ross Gelbspan's book, which makes the preposterous argument that these two authors have somehow convinced the entire nation that global warming isn't a threat, while the 2,500 scientists can't counter them.

But what comes out of The Satanic Gases is far different than boilerplate rhetoric--from either side. It is very highly referenced (so much for the argument that the critics don't publish), comes with the endorsment of the past presdients of the National Academy of Science, the American Physical Society, the past director of the U.S. Geological Survey, and the past director of the Board of Agriculture of the National Research Council.

The argument made has considerable internal consistency--read it for yourself and compare it to others and you may come to the same conclusion. But, moreover, Michaels and Balling provide a neat explanation as to WHY the issue has been overemphasized that breaks new intellectual ground and seems difficult to refute. In addition, the book is surprisingly evenhanded (considering the opposing rhetoric) taking on misconsceptions about this issue whether they are from the right or the left.

That's what makes this book different, and is why you should read it. I've read Stevens and Gelbspan and Gore's new edition (Satanic Gases is currently outselling all of them) and they just aren't as interesting, amusing, factual, or intellectually challenging. This book is a sleeper that is going to have a lot of staying power.

Politics, not science
What a great way to sell books! Tell the people what they want to hear.

Do not mistake this book for a dispassionate science book. This is a political book, masquerading as science. If you read this and you find yourself agreeing and feeling strongly, ask yourself why. The answer is probably that you are looking for a rationalization what you already believe.

This is science like prostitution is love. It may be a feel-good facsimile, but it isn't the real thing. And turning to politically motivated science cheapens the politics as well as the science.

I think the most breathtaking aspect of this work is the colossal hypocrisy employed here. Micheals and Balling decry the distortions of the left-wing environmentalist nutballs and play up the limitations of environmental science while using the same tactics. If the premise of this book is accurate, that science is used by idealogues to distort the truth and promote their political philosophy, well, what can we make of this book? Does the politics lead or the science?

I would suggest that you look into the history of the authors to determine whether they are capable of non-political dispassionate scientific inquiry. I have looked, and guess what? It isn't love, its prostitution.

Making Sense of Scientific Mumbo-Jumbo
I was curious about global warming. This book answered many of my questions and I'll re-read it and buy a couple of copies for my friends.

Other than my small complaints that I wish it had expanded more and discussed in greater detail on historical evidence of climate change (such as archaeological evidence of ice ages and warm periods like when dinosaurs populated the planet) and focused more on the Sun's impact on the temperature of the Earth, it was an excellent book. I am now searching for more data about the effects on weather from natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires, which were only discussed briefly in this book but increased my curiosity.

I found the explanation of how global climate models are designed to be the most educational part of the book. I appreciated the point that the weatherman on the local news has a very hard time predicting the temperature twenty-four hours or a week from now. That puts a prediction on what it will be like 100 years from now into a better perspective. The discussion on El Nino effects was interesting as was the exposure of some scientists tendencies to select data that best fit into the theory du jour to make their conclusions more dramatic. Although the authors didn't say it, an intentional omission of data or evidence seems the same as a lie to me. I wasn't upset about global warming, I live near Phoenix, what difference does it make if its goes from an average high of 110 to 113 one hundred years from now? But now I am upset about global warming because it seems like a big scam and some very good intentioned people are being seriously fooled.

The book is not a light read. I found I could only take a couple of chapters at a time and it wasn't something to read with the TV on or other potential distractions. I read most of it on a stratosphere warming, transcontinental jetliner when South Carolina was being frozen like never before in December 2002.
This is an important book to read, if you don't know many facts about the topic, you'll get 'em.

Watch out
I'd like to ask anyone who is not concerned about global warming to read the accounts of the last meltdown under Noah in the old testament, or in the Bhagavad Gita or any other ancient religious work (which all started as oral history). Archeologists agree that around 10,000 years ago sea levels rose 400 to 600 feet and probably very suddenly. Noah is just the oral history of that event. Most scientists are unfamiliar with catastrophe theory (a very simple theory which describes that in nature events happen very precipitously). Nature is much like the stock market with sudden unpredictable spurts.
Ice is a good conductor of heat and has a high latent heat capacity and thus a whole ice sheet (eg Antarctica) must heat up before it melts (very suddenly). Ice has some other interesting properties that make it unpredictable. As we do not understand what caused the last meltdown, anyone who thinks they can reassure us categorically about the next one is dangerous indeeed. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Reviews (9)

The Scientific truth that Global isn't Warming!
This is one of the easiest books to follow that tell the truth about the non-existence of so-called "global warming." Here, Mr. Singer analyzes the Global Climate Treaty and shows how damaging it could be to our economy, if adopted. He goes on to review the relevant facts and figures that clearly indicate the lack of overall warming of our globe in the last decade. His conclusions regarding the effects of man-made carbon dioxide are also clearly justified and documented, showing that the media claims are simply not supported by known facts.

This book clearly explains why we should NOT sign the Kyoto treaty, as Pres. Bush insists, and for the same reasons, that it would decimate our economy without doing anything that useful for our worldwide environment. Americans of all parties should read this book and be prepared to resist the media fear-mongers who try to get us to run from their chicken-little-like scare tactics into the arms of economy-destroying legislation.

Painful to read
While Singer's book may provide some useful information about the global warming debate, it's overshadowed by shoddy organization and a weak writing style. The repetition of the same key information makes it appear as if Singer has ample evidence for his claim; however, his three major points appear in the foreword. Don't waste your time reading the whole book!

International obervation? Clear facts? Who needs 'em!
There is little to argue about on this issue when the simple facts already exist. Millions of scientists across the world run hundreds of thousands of tests to examine the man's effect on global warming. Most of this collection is unnecessary, however, as the idea behind man-made global warming is simple enough for anyone to understand. The carbon cycle is the process required for attaining a safe equilibrium inside any water-based planet's atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a natural heating agent which is periodically absorbed into water (the ocean) and later released back into the air. A certain amount of carbon dioxide should exist in both mediums, however this amount must remain relitivly undisturbed for an equilibium to exist. If humans constantly pour carbon dioxide into the air from burning fossil fuels, then the equilibrium will shut down, with the water absorbing as much carbon dioxide as possible and the air being overloaded, heating things up quite a bit. Many scientists believe this is what happened to Venus, a planet with an atmosphere overloaded with carbon dioxide.

Good job
Dr. Singer presents an excellent review of the problems associated with determining the future extent of global warming. He emphasizes the differences between land , ocean, and atmospheric temperature measurements. He also points out correctly that all forecasts depend on models and as we all know weather forecasting is far from an exact science even for the short time of a week or a few months. We still don't know, for instance, if we'll have good snow for the Olympics in Salt Lake City and they are only less than half a year away. How can we have the audacity to pretend to know what the temperature is going to be a hundred years from now? Models can only give answers based on information which is currently available but that is bound to change even within a decade. To engage in massive government intervention on basis of a perceived threat, which in turn rests on inadequate data, would qualify for inclusion in Tuchman's "March of Folly." Dr. Singer is to be congratulated for having had the courage to go against public pressures and present the facts as they exist.

Jury Still Out on Global Warming
This is a clear, concise presentation of the case against belief that there is a reason to fear global warming. If global warming did occur, the oceans and seas would not increase to envelop the earth as predicted, but they would decrease by evaporation into the clouds and then rain to produce more ice cap at the poles. Many other fears are dispelled by this book which should be must reading after all the science fiction produced in the press. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides the first comprehensive account of the dynamical behaviour and mechanisms of the global climate system and its components, together with a modern survey of synoptic-scale weather systems in the tropics and extratropics. ... Read more

Book Description

A complete revision of Goody's classic 1964 work, this volume offers a systematic discussion of atmospheric radiation processes that today are at the center of worldwide study and concern. As a complete treatment of physical and mathematical foundations, the text assumes no prior knowledge of atmospheric physics. The theoretical discussion is systematic, and can therefore be applied with minor extension to any planetary atmosphere. ... Read more

Book Description

Perhaps because we can’t always predict it, and certainly can’t control it, our fascination with the weather never seems to wane. But despite our frequent powerlessness in the face of it, there is much we do know. The Weather takes a thrilling voyage to the heart of this phenomenon, that even in an age of air conditioning and artificial environments, is still central to the everyday life of the planet. From hurricanes and sandstorms, monsoons to avalanches, solar storms to the jet stream, The Weather showcases the most dangerous and dynamic forces of the weather.

Created by veteran BBC producer, editor and writer John Lynch, The Weather explains the science of weather clearly and accessibly, illustrated throughout with color photographs and graphics from The Learning Channel/BBC television series. The Weather begins with the basic questions: What is the weather, and what drives it? The book then goes on to cover every global weather phenomenon, with an in-depth introduction and sections on Wind, Wet, Cold and Hot. The book is especially revealing on how humans interact with weather - how we’ve adapted to it, suffered from it, harnessed it, and, finally, how we may be inadvertently changing it. The final section, Change, is a look at the meaning of global climate change patterns. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent pictorial book about weather
Weather is not something I was taught a lot about in all my science classes in college. It was not considered an 'important' science such as physics, biology, or chemistry...but rather something for those who were specifically interested in weather, classes were offered. Even though I reached a higher level of science education, weather science was never offered as a possible elective. People tend to make fun of the weathermen/women...because weather is such an inexact science. But those 'pretty' faces on our televisions are much more trained then they were five or ten years ago, many of them having degrees in metorology.

BBC is just continuing the inroads made by popularizing certain sciences similar to what can be seen on Discovery Channel or on the Weather Channel itself. And of everything studied in weather, no type of weather phenomenon has instigated as much interest as tornadoes (and hurricanes to a lesser degree). This book shows those phenomenom...but also all the other parts of weather that lead up to such catastrophic events. Weather is hardly just tornadoes...in fact, tornadoes are limited pretty much to the continental U.S. and also limited to a few months out of the year. Even more important I think, as a scientist and teacher is rain and drought, since our abilities to feed ourselves and others are dependent upon that.

This book covers basically everything...and it is basic, with pictures and sidebars taking up a lot of space. The science is kept to a minimum, and the sidebars are full of interesting little facets of weather science. This is a good introductory book (especially for use of the pictures and photographs), but there is more information out there on the weather that is more scientifically and clearly presented by groups such as NASA and the NOAA, who do a lot to keep track of the weather. This book used in conjunction with other web sites and internet information can be valuable. This is another one of the sciences like biology, that changes quickly over small periods of time, as new technology such as satellite systems become available to accurately track weather systems across the world. So no book is going to be valuable, or more importantly, accurate for very long.

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

Taken by storm
I borrowed this book from the library thinking it might satisfy my curoisity about weather cycles,storms, rain,wind etc.Well,I opened the book and was pulled in to a non stop delicious weather adventure.I sailed the violent seas, met bold scientists,travelled the globe on untamed winds and learned how the jetstream took the world by surprise.I don't usually get excited about these things but I can't stop talking about this book to my friends.This book is informative,fascinating and complete. It will receive a well favoured spot on my book shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

The man behind the WaveCast® surf forecasts at WetSand.com, Nathan Todd Cool, takes surf forecasting one step further, showing how you can make surf forecasts with simple calculations and free, publicly available data.

The WetSand WaveCast® Guide to Surf Forecasting explains in easy to understand terms the science behind waves, winds, water temperatures, tidal swings, and more.

Learn how to predict when swells will arrive, how big waves will be, and telltale signs of common hazards. Find out how to predict winds, forecast temperature fluctuations, and foresee anomalies like upwelling, and coastal eddies. Discover how to track tropical cyclones and how seasonal phenomena affect them.

A first of its kind, this informative resource will lead you from start to finish through the steps necessary to make surf forecasts, and refine them over time.

Written for both the novice and experienced water sport enthusiast, this book is truly a must-have for those who love to participate with the power of the ocean.

Reviews (1)

Incredibly informative!
I was always curious as to how to make surf forecasts, and with this book it was simple. The author goes into enough detail so that you know the variables involved, but doesn't get into boring details that can seem overwhelming. Instead, there are some simple calculations and explanations that make it easy for anyone to learn how to create their own surf forecasts, and learn how to estimate wind among other things. I found the book easy to read, informative, and well structured. ... Read more

Book Description

Recent episodes of extreme weather, with their resultant physical, economic and human losses, highlight the vulnerability of society to changes in the atmosphere. Atmospheric pollution, urbanization, and natural atmospheric disasters are all causing dramatic changes in climatic environments, leading to events like severe flooding, droughts, and heat waves.

Applied Climatology examines the impacts of climate on physical, biological and cultural environments. Specialist contributors from Europe, N. America and Australasia examine the impacts of changing climates on the functioning and development of environments including glaciers, water resources, landforms, soils, vegetation and animals.This book focuses on the relationship between climate and a wide range of human activities and responses relating to health and comfort, building design, transport systems, agriculture and fisheries, tourism and social, industrial and legal issues. ... Read more

Book Description

An alarming number of boating accidents are caused by ignorance of and failure to prepare for bad weather.This book tells the amateur exactly where to get the latest weather information and how to interpret and use it. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Still useful, even though out-of-date
First published in 1969 and thus out of date due to the extensive research in lightning since then, this book can nevertheless serve as an introduction to the knowledge that was known at the time of publication. My interest in the book stemmed from a sideline interest in ball lightning, a phenomenon which I have never observed, but the accounts of it have some peculiarities from a physics standpoint that are very interesting. Unfortunately, the author only discusses ball lightning in one of the Appendices, and the discussion is very short. The author does discuss in this context the St. Elmo's fire phenomenon.

Even though the book is out of date, it could still serve as a source for homework problems for an instructor teaching a course in electromagnetic theory, whether in physics or engineering. In addition, the author has more recent books on lightning that could be consulted in addition to this one. Lightning is a great example of an electromagnetic phenomenon that everyone is familiar with, and that has lots of interesting physics, some of the understanding of which is still a hot topic of research. For someone like me who is just just curious about the physics of lightning, this book and other ones by the author are of great help, and motivate further reading on the subject. ... Read more